Friends and Foes Ch. 05

"So, you guys still happy teaching the next generation? Have to say, they all seem wet behind the ears these days, but maybe I'm just getting old!"

Steve pulled a face. "We are getting old! You have no idea how much it feels like that when you have these teenagers coming along who think they already know everything. Each year the new intake comes there's at least a few that are only 18 and each year I'm another one older. I swear they look at us sometimes and assume we are ancient!"

"Still get a few trouble makers in too, I suppose?"

"They don't make it far. I don't think we've had a major issue for nigh on a year now when we had to throw a couple out for bullying. That reminds me though, you have two of our recent stars with you now I gather."

"They're good lads, and been very helpful. Why did kicking the bullies out remind you of them?"

Steve looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment. "Michael was their target. Peter stood up for him when he found out and ended up getting in a fight about it, which I had to break up. I have to say I was glad they went together because they are such good friends. I was impressed at how Peter handled everything and how well he looked after Michael afterwards. They were always close, but after that they were pretty much inseparable."

Both Finn and Sky started laughing, knowing just how inseparable the two were now. The other two looked more confused, which puzzled Finn as he had assumed the reason for Michael being bullied and he knew that Steve and Dev were mates.

"What's so funny?" Steve eventually asked.

Finn grinned. "Well, I was wondering how you of all people didn't realise just how close those two are!"

Twin looks of shock met his eyes and he started laughing again. Steve was the first to recover and speak.

"As in..."

"Yeah, as in lovers. I guess that could be a fairly new development, seeing as they wouldn't have had much privacy in camp, but Mark sent them to us because he thought they were involved with each other."

"I guess I just assumed it was because of what you were doing, and his idea of merging the teams and species."

"It was. But you'll have noticed the teams he merged both had gay Alphas. I gather he thought they might help the lads realise that it wasn't going to be a problem for them."

"We told them that. But after it came out about the bullying Sandra found out too, and you'll know she is seriously anti-gay. Whenever she saw Michael she made it pretty clear she disapproved."

"She had a go at Sam and Tom in a Council meeting too. Nasty piece of work as far as I'm concerned. We were all working damn hard, they deserved to have a life too. None of the team cared that they'd mated, and we were the ones who had to work for them."

Finn was suddenly staring at another pair of shocked faces and started laughing again.

"Seriously guys, you may think the gossip is good in camp, but you are way out of the loop. Sam and Tom got together, and Tilly and Dill. Since Peter and Michael also came out and admitted they are in love, and I found Sky, Mark isn't quite sure whether he did a team merger or started a dating service!"

The four of them started laughing together then. It was a nice moment, particularly for Sky as it was another way to make her forget what she was here to do. She knew that Finn could still feel her nerves, but she felt better able to cope with this the more she got used to the situation. These were the good guys, and any information she could give them would help anyone else who was like her. If indeed there was anyone like her. She seemed to have had a unique upbringing, and some of the things they had said about her at the centre still puzzled her.

Once they had finished eating, she sat for a little while taking in the scene while Finn chatted away, but soon thoughts of what else they could now be doing started to filter into her mind. As much as she was enjoying the company, having him all to herself seemed like a very good idea. She would be able to strip him naked and caress that hard body she couldn't get enough of. Her thoughts caused her to let out an involuntary growl, and although Finn was as embarrassed about it as she was, Steve was just laughing.

"Fairly new mates I take it?! I don't know if it will make you feel better, but the frantic urges to have your mate wear off after the first few years. Well, don't happen quite so often, anyway." The correction was caused by a nudge from Dev that indicated the two of them were just as hot for each other after all the years they had been together. The nudge was lost on Sky at that moment, she was overwhelmed with her need to get Finn alone and in her. He managed to give an apologetic look to the others, but it was pretty clear where they were going and why, and the guys were just grinning at him.

As soon as they got out of the main hall Sky set off for their room at such a pace that Finn was unprepared and had to run a few steps to catch up to her. He would have laughed, but knowing that she wanted him so much at that moment had him just as turned on as she was and as eager to take her even though it had been less than two hours since the last time. He wondered whether the stress of this situation was going to make her need him more but decided that if she did it could only be a good thing.

She surprised him when they reached their room and were alone. Once he had shut the door he found himself pressed back against it and her taking the lead, kissing him hard and stripping him of his clothes before he had chance to move. She slipped his trousers down but left them on his ankles, and when her hands were free they came to his wrists to hold them to the door. The show of dominance made him even harder than he already was. He could easily break her hold but he was content to see what she had in mind.

Her mouth was on him a moment later, licking and sucking at his erection and making him groan. Without using her hands she was still able to do so much to him, and somehow take almost all of his dick into her mouth and throat. He just stood and let her give him the pleasure, crying out as she worked hard to make him come, and he knew she wouldn't have to wait long. His body started to shake and stiffen and he pressed back harder into the door for support before he began to shoot. Her name was a long and low growl from his throat as he came hard, feeling her swallow and then lap up the rest of his seed.

It took Finn a few moments to recover, and Sky was clearly pleased with herself when he looked down. His legs wobbled slightly as he put his weight back on them, but he was able to stand and grab for her, lifting her over his shoulder and carrying her to the bed with a possessive growl of his own. It was his turn to play and she found herself stripped of her dress before he set her down and began to toy with her, using his mouth and lips on her most sensitive places until she came screaming his name. He just smiled at her as she opened her eyes afterwards.

"Payback baby!"

She grinned back. "I hoped you'd feel that way!"

"I got a tasty dessert. You taste even better than the food here."

"You too. I can't seem to get enough of you, my mate."

He pulled her into his body and curled himself around her as they liked to sleep, too worn out right at that moment to do anything more, and his cock doing nothing more than twitch at the feel of her naked body against him. It had been a long day and he knew that she was tired. It didn't seem a bad idea to sleep after their journey and exercise, and tomorrow was going to be hard work for both of them. She would have to talk about things that she didn't really want to, and he was going to have to listen. He just hoped that he could be strong for her despite his own feelings. He was going to hate hearing about anyone hurting her and it would be hard for him not to let those feelings show.

* * * * * *

Both Finn and Sky woke early, but neither wanted to move from the position they were in. Sky felt safe and protected with her mate curled around her like he was, and she needed that from him now more than anything else he could give. She knew the only way she was going to cope with things today was to have him there, but in some ways she wished he wouldn't have to hear it. He cared so much for her that he might even be more upset than she was. Perhaps she should have told him before now, but it was too late to do that.

Finn felt more afraid about the day ahead than he was going to let on. He needed to have her there beside him and he feared that finding out was going to make things different between them. On the other hand, he would need to know if they were going to move forward. He wanted her to be his forever, have his pups, and grow old together, and as long as she had those secrets it would always come between them. That she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him yet was also a worry, but then it hadn't been that long and she was only just getting well, and having to deal with their relationship on top of everything else. He knew that had been good for them both and he had spent far too much of his life alone so far, he had no intention of letting her go.

Subconsciously he was holding her tighter and tighter as the thoughts went round his head, and eventually she struggled. He released her quickly, mentally kicking himself for letting his thoughts get the better of him.

"Sorry love."

"Don't worry. This is going to be a tough day, I don't want you to let go."

"I'll be there for you."

"I know. Thank you."

They lay in silence for some time after that, still not wanting to move and neither of them in the mood for sex when other things were on their minds. Even when they had to get up and go downstairs for breakfast the two of them ate mostly in silence and it only got worse when Mark came to tell them they would see them afterwards. Finn held Sky's hand and squeezed it for some reassurance, still not sure if it was for her or him that he sought it.

Sky knew her steps were shaky as they followed Mark and Sandra through the building. The last time she had been 'interviewed' it had been with the threat of torture behind it, and thinking about that and having to talk scared her. When they showed them into a room with comfy chairs and sofas she relaxed a little, having feared it would be like the rooms in the research facility. Mark indicated they should sit down, and although she thought it might be considered a little unusual, she decided to sit on Finn's lap. He didn't seem to mind and wrapped his arms around her, and she was pleased that neither of the others commented on it.

Mark began the discussion. "We'd just like you to tell us what happened, from when you were taken. Anything you can think of may be useful. We've interviewed everyone that has been released, so we have a good idea of what was going on, but your perspective on it will really help. There might be something you heard or saw that no-one else did."

Sandra continued. "We are not going to be questioning you, and if you need to stop then just say so. If we need to have several sessions then we will. I know this will be difficult, but I also know from speaking to the others that talking it over will help you in the long run. Also, no-one but us will ever know that this information specifically came from you."

Sky was surprised that the woman showed compassion and she spoke kindly and softly. It didn't gel with what she had heard about her, and she didn't really like the woman, but she had already warmed to Mark and she was going to do her best. She took a deep breath and settled back onto Finn, keeping as much of his warm body close to hers as she could and wrapping her own arms around his to keep him holding her. Then she closed her eyes and began to tell them what she remembered.

* * * * * *

Sky had been travelling for some time, weeks on this occasion, looking for somewhere she wanted to stay for a while. For about five years, since she'd left the children's home, she had roamed the country, spending a few weeks or months in one place and then moving on. During that time she had started to meet others like her, not always wolves, but somehow she could smell them and knew. The first time it had been a shock, but although she hadn't met more than a dozen Weres over the years, she had gained some information about them.

She'd found that those she met were usually reticent at first, but when they realised she was a lone female and not tied to a pack that was likely to turn up in their area, they spoke to her. Some of them didn't live as Weres anyway, they were so integrated into the human society that they didn't change, but she could still tell there was an animal within. She became aware of the existence of the Council, and that there were packs and families in different parts of the country, but she didn't find anyone who knew who she was.

It was that which drove her to travel. She wanted to know what had happened to her family, how they could have lost a daughter and never tried to find her. Perhaps they were out there looking still, and she would find someone who had come across them, or had heard of them, anything that could give her a lead as to who she was. What she feared was that they had deliberately left her and hadn't been looking. However, someone had cared for her during her young life. She had been told she'd been nearly two when found, well dressed and fed and clean. She'd known a few words, including her name, but nothing of where she had come from.

She was in some woodland, she had no idea exactly where as it had been a while since she'd been near any habitation. The sound of voices had led her to change her path to try and avoid them, but she suspected now they had deliberately been talking, because the way she went was where the trap was set. She remembered her fear and anger at being trapped, but they'd drugged her quickly and she lost consciousness fast.

When she woke she was in a cage, much like the one Finn had found her in. It was too small for her to change form so she paced as a wolf until the men came to see her. Despite her snarls they wouldn't leave her alone, and she soon discovered this was a crush cage. They made it so small that she couldn't turn or move and she had to lie down, every part of her pressed against the bars. They took blood, she had no idea how much, and samples of her hair. The ultimate indignity, as she struggled to remember what had happened and to understand what was going on, was to be muzzled. It bit into her head and prevented her from opening her mouth at all, but she still managed to growl at them as they also fitted her with a collar. It was heavy, even though she wasn't standing, and they made sure it was tight as well so she wouldn't forget it was there.

Finally one of her captors spoke to her, and his words filled her with dread.

"Good dog. Welcome to your new home. If you do as you are told, we won't be too hard on you. For the moment you'll just be settling in, and our work will begin in a few days. Meanwhile, if we see so much as a flicker of you changing form, or you disobey in any way, that collar will make sure you regret it. This room is constantly monitored and we will be watching. Just to make sure you understand this fully, this is what we do to disobedient pups."

She felt a jolt of pain through her body, the collar concentrating an electric shock into her. She tried to yelp, but the muzzle stopped her from making the sound properly. Her strangulated sound of pain just made the men laugh as they left her alone, restrained and muzzled and terrified.

* * * * * *

Sky brought herself back into the present for a moment, the memories starting to distress her too much. She had tried hard not to think about her capture, and trying to relate it made it feel like it was happening all over again. Only Finn nuzzling at her neck as he hugged her for reassurance helped her to relax. She took some deep breaths and looked over to Mark.

"I'm sorry. I just need a moment."

"We meant what we said. If you need to stop at any time you can. No-one is going to push you to tell us everything today."

"I want to. I need to get this out so I can move forward."

"I don't know if it will help, but what you are saying matches what we have been told by pretty much everyone. They set out initially to show their strength and get a way of control."

"I keep thinking they needed to make sure they saw us as animals. They were insistent that I not change, for some time. It was cowardice really. They could torture an animal, but they couldn't touch us human until they were confident they thought we were somehow different, not worthy of being treated properly."

"You're probably right. Certainly from what we've seen they have been operating on the basis that Weres aren't human, forgetting that we are in part but we are more than that. They don't like that we are something different."

Sky wished Mark hadn't used that word. That was something she still had to get to, and the part of the whole experience that scared her the most, despite the fact that it was just words. It was the only thing that she might not be able to leave behind and could affect her life. Her small shudder was obvious to Finn and she felt him nuzzle at her again to calm her. She took some more deep breaths, trying to disassociate herself from the story she had to tell.

"After about a week, they started to talk to me. I shouldn't word it like that really, it was interrogation. They would make me change, although they never took off that collar, and secure me to the table so they could ask what they wanted but I couldn't escape. If I didn't answer, or they didn't like the answer, the collar would shock me, or they would use one of their prods or something. I was always sat on a stool which was secured to the floor, so they could whip my back. I guess that was pretty standard as well."

She saw both Mark and Sandra nod to confirm it was, but they didn't try and interrupt her. She hung her head, not wanting to see their faces as she carried on.

"They didn't like my answers much. I didn't know anything useful to them, I'd met so few Weres during my life and I don't think they believed me at first. When they finally did, they didn't know what to do with me. The guy who used to do most of the questioning didn't think I was of any use."

She left it unsaid, but knew that they all understood that she had taken a lot of punishment. The electric shocks were bad enough, but the whip cut into her, leaving her raw and bloodied at times. One of the 'assistants' was particularly keen on that type of punishment for her not telling them what they wanted to know. He seemed to get pleasure from her torment, and she could only be grateful that he had never had access to her when she was alone.

She knew from the feelings hitting her from Finn that he was well aware of what she was not going into detail about and he was angry and upset about it. There was nothing he could have done, but the thought of her being hurt ate away at him. She wanted to reassure him, but she had to get the rest of it out before she lost her nerve.

"I thought for a while that they were going to kill me, and in a way I thought that might be the best thing. I couldn't see how I would ever get out of there otherwise. I was 'saved' I suppose, because the scientists found another purpose for me. They thought they could use me to breed some more Weres, or some crossbreeds."

She meant to go on straight away, but she felt Finn stiffen violently. She knew what he was thinking and had to stop his train of thought right then. She turned in his lap so she could face him and saw the fear in his eyes at the thought that she had been violated.

"It wasn't what you are thinking baby," she said softly. "They never did that."